Costa Mesa, Suburban city in Orange County, California
Costa Mesa sits on a plateau roughly 60 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles and covers an area of about 40 square kilometers with consistently mild temperatures throughout the year. The suburb divides into residential areas, commercial zones and parks that spread across gentle flat terrain.
The area originally belonged to the territories of the Tongva and Acjachemen peoples before European settlers arrived in the late 18th century. The modern suburb developed after World War II from agricultural lands into an urban community.
The name means "coastal table" in Spanish and describes the flat elevation between ocean and inland areas. Visitors today see modern shopping centers next to residential neighborhoods that show typical Southern California suburban life.
The area works well for driving since streets run in grids and most destinations connect through wide traffic arteries. Pedestrians find sidewalks in residential areas and around larger shopping zones, while some sections are better reached by car.
The area hosts a large arts scene with theaters and galleries that settled in a former industrial district. Visitors discover murals and small performance spaces in warehouses converted into cultural venues.
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